Chapter Warren to Water made Wine of W by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Warren to Water made Wine

Warren (Widow), “twice married and twice a widow.” A coquette of 40, aping the airs of a girl; vain, weak, and detestable. Harry Dornton, the banker’s son, is in love with her daughter, Sophia Freelove; but the widow tries to win the young man for herself, by advancing money to pay off his friend’s debts. When the father hears of this, he comes to the rescue, returns the money advanced, and enables the son to follow his natural inclinations by marrying the daughter instead of the designing mother.

A girlish, old coquette, who would rob her daugher, and leave her husband’s son to rot in a dungeon, that she might marry the first fool she could find.—Holcroft: The Road to Ruin, v. 2 (1792).

Warren Hastings (Charges against), by John Logan. Hastings was governor-general of India, and no doubt greatly increased the power of England in India, but on his return home he was charged with aggression, bribery, and other offences. Burke (in a speech which lasted four days) charged him with oppression and injustice; Sheridan charged him for defrauding the princess of Oude; and Fox charged him for his exactions on Cheyte Sing; but he was acquitted, and lived 24 years afterwards in retirement. He died 1818, aged 86.

Wart (Thomas), a poor, feeble, ragged creature, one of the recruits in the army of sir John Falstaff.—Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV. act iii. sc. 2 (1598).

Warwick (The earl of), a tragedy by Dr. T. Franklin. It is the last days and death of the “king-maker” (1767).

Warwick (The House of). Of this house it is said, “All the men are without fear, and all the women without stain.” This brag has been made by many of our noble families, and it is about as complimentary as that paraded of queen Victoria, that she is a faithful wife, a good mother, and a virtuous woman. It is to be hoped that the same may be said of most of her subjects also.

Warwick Lane (City), the site of the house belonging to the Beauchamps, earls of Warwick.

Washington of Africa (The). William Wilberforce is so called by lord Byron. As Washington was the chief instrument in liberating America, so Wilberforce was the chief instigator of slave emancipation.

Thou moral Washington of Africa.

Byron: Don Juan, xiv. 82 (1824).

Washington of Columbia, Simon Bolivar (1785–1831).

Wasky, sir Iring’s sword.

Right through the head-piece straight
The knight sir Hagan paid,
With his resistless Wasky,
That sharp and peerless blade.
   —Nibelungen Lied, 35 (1210).

Wasp, in the drama called Bartholomew Fair, by Ben Jonson (1614).

Benjamin Johnson [1665–1742], commonly called Ben Johnson…seemed to be proud to wear the poet’s double name, being particularly great in all that author’s plays that were usually performed, viz. “Wasp,” “Corbaccio,” “Morose,” and “Ananias.”—Chetwood: History of the Stage.

(“Corbaccio,” in The Fox; “Morose,” in The Silent Woman; and “Ananias,” in The Alchemist.)

Waste Time Utilized.

(1) Baxter wrote his Saint’s Everlasting Rest on a bed of sickness (1615–1691).

(2) Bloomfield composed The Farmer’s Boy in the intervals of shoemaking (1766–1823).